My super awesome granola

 

I am totally taking bragging rights on my granola.

Here’s the scoop. Last summer, I made my very first batch of the toasted-oat, yummy goodness. You may wonder why would I go through all that trouble when I could just walk to the store and buy a box? Well, I couldn’t justify the amount of money to pay for the commercial stuff, because, frankly, it isn’t all that good. And if you grab a box with raisins, yuck! I am not disrespecting the raisin, but let’s face it: the raisins found in a box of granola are so hard to chew, it feels like they are pulling the fillings right out of my teeth.

I glanced at a recipe that was on joyofbaking.com, which looked really simple, and I modified it to my liking.

The benefit of this basic recipe is that you can add what ever you like: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans, etc. It is great plain, with milk or on top of yogurt.

It is so easy you’ll wonder why you haven’t made it before…

Super Awesome Granola

3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup of coconut
1 cup of sliced almonds
¼ cup of wheat germ
½ tablespoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of coconut oil (melted)
¼ cup of maple syrup
¼ cup of honey
1 cup of dried fruit (I usually use cherries or cranberries)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, coconut, almonds, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt.

In a small bowl, mix together oil, syrup and honey.

Pour the liquid over dry ingredients, and mix to coat. Spread into prepared pan, and bake 30-45 minutes or until golden brown. Stir every 10-15 minutes. The more it browns, the crunchier it will be. Cool on a wire rack. It will crisp up as it dries, so break up any large clumps while mixture is warm. Add dried fruit and mix well. Place in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator.

Have you attempted to make granola before? If so, how did it turn out?

© 2012 – Lynne Cobb